Half a Heart
by butterflyKisses26
Summary: She can barely remember who she was before she joined the Brotherhood. She has no recollection of her former life. All she knows now is that Magneto's word is law and that his second in command is every bit as hot headed as the fire that he manipulates.
1. Felyne

Disclaimer: No I don't own X-men or anything associated with X-men. I do, however, own this plot and all original characters.

Spoilers: This takes place during X-men 3. It has no set timeline within the movie and probably will not follow the movie that closely.

_Half a Heart_

Chapter One

The sunlight filtering through the leaves cast what would have been a happy light over the forest floor were it not for the dark purpose of those who camped upon that leaf strewn floor. The birds and other forest animals had long since fled the site of the encampment, frightened away by the number of humans that had taken over their land. The forest, thus, sat in eerie silence which was broken only by the spattering of conversations that broke out over the encampment, each in a whisper for fear of their leader hearing their secret grumblings and doubts.

With cat-like stealth, a young woman, her face hidden in the green shadows of the forest, stalked her way through the trees, her dark eyes searching. She saw through heightened color, seeing every little detail on the smallest leaf on the earthen floor below her. Her nose was turned towards the tree tops, searching out anything that did not belong. However, with a forest full of mutants, that was easier said than done. The scents of nature and mutant blood mingled to create a heady scent. Her eyes snapped to her left at the sound of a twig snapping. A body emerged from the shadows, shifty eyes meeting hers.

"Your watch is over." The man that approached her snapped. "Get back to camp."

She didn't stay any longer than necessary. As soon as the words left his mouth, she disappeared into the shadows.

How long had this been her life? How long had she been moving in and out of the shadows? Was it really only two weeks since she had come to join the Brotherhood, as the band of renegade mutants was known as? Time had become jumbled ever since she had entered the encampment. She barely knew when one day was over and another had begun.

Two weeks was how she had been there, and two weeks was all it took for her to forget her former identity and be known only as Felyne- the mutant girl who can melt into the darkness and take on the characteristics of any cat-like animal. Her former life was nothing but a blur, and all she knew was what the Brotherhood, or more importantly its leader- Magneto- told her. Felyne hadn't ever seen Magneto personally, but she knew what he said; his commands always made their way quickly through the encampment of loyal followers.

Felyne quickly returned to camp, eager for the break from keeping watch. It seemed as if her life had become nothing more than a trivial system of keeping watch and sitting around the camp eating whatever dreadful food the mutants could cook up. This was nothing like how she had pictured her life with the Brotherhood. So many tales had been told about Magneto's group of mutants; tales of power that would make your blood run cold. Yet Felyne had not seen even so much as a glimpse of power. All she saw, day in and day out, were ragged looking mutants who looked no better than common street thugs.

_I'm no different_, she thought as she looked down at her own scuffed boots, leather pants, and fashionably torn shirt. She had joined the Brotherhood camp in much better attire, but had quickly gotten rid of the clothing in order to fit in with the rougher looking group of mutants. The clothes that she had worn upon her first entering the camp were safely hidden away in her tent, awaiting the day when she would once again bring them out into the sunlight.

Pushing aside the flap of her tent, Felyne entered silently. She fell down onto her hard cot and curled up beneath the thin blanket before falling into a deep sleep.

_"Mara, what are you doing here?" _

_The woman stood above her cot, a brilliant light behind her, blinding the young woman who squinted as she tried to make out the face of the woman before her. _

_"Come home, Mara. Come home." The mysterious woman said, holding out one pale white hand to the girl. The girl stared at the hand; the fingers were so slim, so fragile looking that it appeared that one small touch would break them. _

_"Come home, my daughter. Come back to me." _

_The woman began to fade away, the light behind her slowly engulfing her in its blinding affect. The girl tried to cry out, to question who this woman was, but her lips would not form the words, her tongue felt like lead in her mouth._

Felyne sat up, panting for breath. The dreams had been coming at more frequent intervals. It used to be that they occurred only once a day, now every time Felyne laid down to rest the dream would come, and with it, the mysterious woman.

Who was this Mara that she called out to?

Holding her head in her hands, Felyne slowly got out of bed and stumbled out into the camp.

"You look dead on your feet."

Felyne shook her head at the voice as she turned to see her one and only friend in the group of nearly two hundred.

"What do you want, Dart?" She asked the boy.

"Nothing," he replied with a shake of his head, "just thought I'd check on you after your watch."

Felyne started making her way towards one of the cook fires as her stomach began to growl. Dart followed her, his footsteps sounding unusually loud to her sensitive ears. She winced as he continued to follow her; even the sound of his breath was piercing to her poor ears. Her head ached with the effort it took to turn down the sounds around her even just a little bit.

She took a bowl from the stack by the cook fire and helped herself to the stew that sat in the black kettle. It slopped unappetizingly into the bowl and Felyne had to force herself not to throw-up at the stench that overpowered her senses. The dreams always left her feeling sick. Dart sat down beside her, his black eyes watching her eat, taking in the dark circles beneath her eyes, and carefully watching the slight tremor of her hand as it lifted the spoon to her mouth.

"Is there something you want, or are you just gonna sit there and stare at me?" She snapped, quickly losing her patience with the young man.

Since her first day at the camp, Dart had latched onto her. He was two years younger than her, but no one would ever think that he was only fifteen. Not with the jaded look to his eyes and the rough set of his jaw. He had a world-weary look to his face, a wizened look that spoke of seeing sights that no child should have to see. Dart had been with the Brotherhood for three months longer than Felyne, yet he had more recollection of the world outside the forest than Felyne could ever hope to remember. And yet, with all his worldliness, he chose to follow Felyne around like a puppy dog- though sometimes he acted the concerned mother hen and forced her to take it easy or to lie down and rest.

A commotion towards the east end of camp jostled Felyne from her meal. She looked up to see a young man, not much older than herself, walking through camp. His gaze surveyed the other mutants, a look of contempt within hazel eyes. Felyne smelled the hatred wafting off him, so thick that it nearly choked her. But hatred at what, she wondered.

She had never seen this boy before. Yet all the other mutants coward before him as if he were someone of power.

"Who is that?" She asked, turning to Dart.

"That's Magneto's second," Dart whispered back to her, his voice taking on a reverent tone, "his name is Pyro."

Felyne turned her eyes back on the young man and, just for an instant, his eyes connected with hers.

* * *

Well folks, what did you think? Please review and tell me if I should continue this story or not. How soon I update will depend on how many reviews I get, so if you want another chapter, and soon, review! 


	2. Pulled

I want to thank all of you who reviewed last chapter: AutomicLove, AGirlBrushedRed, Meow, Nelle07, SqueakyLittleKettle, Takerslady, xsuzyxninjax, fallen angel, eponinehugo, and maelisa5780. I really appreciate your reviews.

Chapter Two

Those eyes, she could have stared into them all day. Fire burned within them; fire so powerful that it nearly consumed Felyne even from ten yards away.

But, just as swiftly as their eyes met, he looked away and continued his inspection of the camp. Felyne shook her head, as if to clear it of muddled thoughts. Looking into his eyes had caused her to forget herself for a moment, and his gaze finally leaving hers had left Felyne feeling dazed.

Dart was talking beside her, seemingly unaware of what was going on within Felyne's mind. She continued to ignore him and, instead, her gaze followed Pyro as he walked through the camp.

There was something about him. Maybe it was the way he moved, with such certainty in each step and his chin held high with superiority and arrogance. Felyne didn't know what exactly it was, but something was drawing her towards him. Something about him called to her, appealed to her feline senses.

Standing up, Felyne stretched, the muscles in her arms and back quivering at the movement. A yawn tugged at her throat, fighting to escape. But Felyne held it back; there was no need to give Dart more incentive to worry over her sleep habits- or lack there of.

"Where you going?" Dart asked as Felyne started to move away from the fire.

"To bed." She replied simply, leaving no room for Dart to protest. She quickly retreated away from the fire and entered her tent where she once again fell onto the cot and into a restless sleep.

* * *

Felyne woke the next morning, feeling just as dead on her feet as she had when she went to bed. But she hid it well, appearing to the mutants around her as if she were fully refreshed and eager for another day. Little did they know just how tortured her mind was at that moment.

The dream had come again, as it did every time her eyes shut. This time, the woman had been more instant than ever as she called out to Mara, whoever that was. She begged with the mysterious name holder, pleading with them to come back. But the Mara she spoke to never responded, and the mysterious woman was left to plead and beg with someone who didn't exist. Felyne only wished that she knew who the woman called out to. She wished that she could help the woman find this Mara and find peace.

But that would have to be another time, for at that moment, as Felyne stood in front of her tent surveying the encampment, Magneto made an appearance at the top of the hill where his own living quarters lay. A hush fell over the camp as all the mutants moved forward in a flood to the base of the hill. Felyne followed along, arching her cramped back. Her graceful legs carried her easily across the forest floor and her sharp eyes took in the eager yet disdainful faces.

The scent of superiority came rolling off the gray-haired man in an overwhelming flood. The smell was even more powerful than that from his second: Pyro. Magneto's haughty eyes surveyed the crowd, seeming to look into the very souls of the mutants before him. His eyes traveled over the spot where Felyne stood, and a shiver ran down her spine. There was something very eerie about those eyes; the way they were able to see straight through Felyne to her fears and insecurities.

She studied his face as he surveyed the rest of the mutants. He was old; there was no way of hiding the deep wrinkles that lined his face or the large bags that lay beneath his eyes; the dark color magnified by his pale skin. Despite the look of age, his eyes sparked with vitality and life. But there was something dark and sinister behind those eyes, something that made Felyne's blood run cold. She wished, more than ever, that her special gift had been telepathy, for she wanted nothing more than to read the thoughts of this man that stood over them all like a deadly sentinel.

What secrets would lie within the recess of his mind? What dark thoughts would be found there? What nightmares mingled with the intellectual thoughts?

Felyne found her mind beginning to wander as she conjured up images of what could have driven Magneto to the power hungry man that now stood before her. She could practically taste his desire for power; the bitterness of it left a sour taste in her mouth.

Magneto raised a gloved hand to silence the mutterings that were coming from his followers. Immediately the mutants fell silent. A slow smirk pulled at the corners of his tight lips. He knew the power that he held over those who had gathered, and he was a man who would relish in that fact.

As Felyne watched him she knew why people feared him as they did. Yet, she could not help but wonder just how easy it would be to take him down, to take his power from him. Was this old man really worth the devotion his followers gave him? Was he truly as powerful as he appeared? For all the effort she put into appearing brave, Felyne knew she would never have the strength of will to test Magneto. So it was probably best to let these thoughts pass swiftly from her mind.

"Brothers," Magneto's authoritive voice broke out over the quiet encampment, startling Felyne from her thoughts. She swiftly turned her attention to what Magneto had to say.

"There has been much questioning as of late." Magneto continued, "Many of you wonder when we will strike."

A mumble of agreement spread through the crowd.

"I tell you, the time is soon upon us." Magneto's eyes once more swept over the crowd. A loud cheer rose, the sound of it ringing in Felyne's ears drowning out the rest of Magneto's words. Just as the sound died in her ears, Magneto disappeared back into his underground lair.

"What did he say?" Felyne asked Dart, who had appeared at her side sometime during the brief speech.

"We're striking Alcatraz in three days." The boy replied.

"What's at Alcatraz?" She asked, confused. She had heard nothing about the former prison or what it contained.

Dart answered her in a voice that was both disdainful and reverent.

"The Cure."

* * *

"Why wait? Everyone is ready now! We should strike now, not in three days!" Pyro cried, pacing in front of Magneto.

"Patience, Pyro." Magneto replied, his patient tone biting. "With Mystique having been cured, my plans have been pushed back."

The hot headed teen opened his mouth to protest.

"We strike Alcatraz in three days, no sooner." Magneto snapped, before Pyro could say anything. "Now leave, I have plans to make." He dismissed Pyro with a wave of his hand.

Anger boiling in his veins, Pyro turned on his heel and left the underground lair.

* * *

The scent of anger and hatred filled her nose. The smell was so powerful that it caused Felyne to sneeze. The repressed feelings began to weigh her down, numbing her nerves and causing her head to ache from its passion.

She heard the footsteps fast approaching, and everything intensified. Felyne could practically feel her blood beginning to boil along with his, as if a fire flew through her very veins. Her eye began to twitch, and Felyne had to concentrate in order to keep her vision from blurring.

He passed by her swiftly and Felyne could have sworn that she saw flames flying behind him. She watched him from the corner of her bloodshot eye. Once again, Felyne felt that tug, as if she were being drawn to him.

As he disappeared into the dark shadows of the forest, she continued to watch him until, finally, the pull became too much. Felyne got up from the log she had been sitting on and silently followed Pyro into the forest.

* * *

Well, what did y'all think? Please review and let me know.


	3. Meeting

Sorry for how long it took me to update. College is so crazy, I feel like I barely have any time to write anymore. I want to thank all of you who reviewed last chapter. I greatly appreciate your support and hope that you will continue to read this story (and be patient as the chapters make thier slow progress from my brain to the computer).

Chapter Three

As she entered the darker part of the forest, Felyne allowed herself to melt into the shadows that were so familiar to her. The dark was her friend, the shadows her constant companion.

She followed his scent, trailing behind him at just the right distance that she could still see him without him knowing she was there.

_What am I doing here?_ She couldn't help but wonder as she silently walked over the leaf strewn ground. Had she been able to, Felyne would have stopped this ridiculousness, but as it was, the pull was too strong for her to ignore. So she continued to follow, one foot moving delicately in front of the other.

His scent was alluring; a strange mix of power, arrogance, and fear. Felyne pondered at the fear; it was trying to escape the confines of the other two scents, pushing against the hold the power the two dominant emotions held over it.

But what could one as powerful as Pyro have to fear? Was he not Magneto's right hand man? Who then would dare to touch him?

The questions flew through Felyne's mind as swiftly as her feet moved across the earth.

Suddenly, Pyro's scent grew stronger as Felyne quickly closed the gap between them. She peered out through the thick branches in front of her to see him standing in a small clearing, the sunlight streaming down on his face, which was upturned to catch the warm rays. His eyes were closed, his chest moving gently up and down as he breathed in the rich air.

The scent of anger itched Felyne's nose. She held back the sneeze that fought to come out. Focusing her attention on Pyro, Felyne wondered what he was doing out there. He did nothing more than stand there, and yet, she could sense something brewing. The urge to sneeze intensified, but Felyne fought against it. A soft breeze rustled the leaves around her and carried Pyro's scent to her. The extra surge of anger the breeze carried was too much for Felyne to handle and the sneeze erupted violently, the sound echoing in the clearing.

Before Felyne could so much as take a step back, Pyro's eyes were on her…or rather on the leaves which hid her.

Felyne gasped as the full force of his fiery eyes hit her. Caught off guard, Felyne's usual gracefulness disappeared and she tripped over a branch and fell backwards onto the ground. Her heart beat roughly inside her chest as she struggled to get up off her back and onto her feet. But it was too late; he was already standing over her.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" He barked, staring down at the girl that lay sprawled on the ground in front of him. She couldn't be more than fifteen from the look of her wide, doe-like eyes. And, as he stared into those eyes, Pyro felt guilty for his harshness. That is, until her eyes turned a feral gold, her pupils slitting into a cat-like shape.

She glared at him, and Pyro could have sworn he heard a _hiss_ escape from between her tight lips. With an agility unlike he'd ever seen, she sprang to her feet, her eyes on the same level with his.

Pyro's eyes narrowed as this girl meet him evil stare for evil stare. He didn't want to admit it, but the gold of her eyes, and the narrowness of her pupils was slightly intimidating.

"I asked you a question." He seethed. "What are you doing here? Were you following me?"

"I don't have to answer your questions." She matched his biting tone with one of her own.

"Oh, but I think you do." Pyro reached out to grip her arms, but she evaded his touch easily, as if she could sense his actions before he did anything.

"No one touches me unless I say so." She growled, her teeth bared to show two fangs like those Pyro had always imagined vampires to have. Only these fangs were shorter; but just as deadly looking.

Biting his lip to keep his temper in check, Pyro surveyed the girl. Coal black hair, cropped to chin length, framed a pale face. The dark contrast between the two colors was hypnotic, and Pyro found it hard to look away. Or maybe it was the deep red color of her stubborn lips that set themselves in a deep frown, which captured Pyro's attention. Either way, her face was stunning despite the anger that pulled at her lips and furrowed her brow.

The picture she made was so alluring that Pyro could not keep from staring. Angry at himself for being so weak to this girl's charms, Pyro irately flicked the ever-present lighter in his hand open and closed, open and closed; finding the familiar repetition soothing.

"Would you cut that out!" The girl barked, her gold eyes flitting down to the lighter then back up to Pyro's eyes. He was struck, once again by the power of her gaze.

Jaw clenched stubbornly, he continued the flicking. Another hiss escaped from the girl.

"I'll stop when you answer my question." He replied calmly, liking the small bit of power he now held over her. Staring into her eyes, determined to show his dominance over her, Pyro restated his question.

"What are you doing here?"

* * *

There was something about his eyes, something about the way they met her own unflinching. People usually avoided her gaze when she was angry so that they would not be confronted with the unearthly gold of her stare. But this boy was different. His arrogance and pride seemed to force him to keep his eyes on hers.

Felyne's eyes narrowed further. He continued to flick that damned lighter open and closed, one eyebrow arched in question as he waited for her to answer. But Felyne remained stubbornly silent. If it came down to a battle of who was more stubborn she was more than certain she could win.

However, the constant flicking noise was beginning to get on her last nerve. It resounded in her overly sensitive ears, making her nose twitch with annoyance. A smirk pulled at the corners of the boy's mouth. Annoyed beyond belief, Felyne hissed once more than pounced.

As she flew through the air, Felyne reveled in the shocked look on his face before she landed on top of him, causing them both to fall to the ground. With a feral growl, Felyne lunged for the lighter which had been knocked loose of his hand. The boy scrambled to reach the lighter first, but he was no match for Felyne's cat-like reflexes. She had the lighter in her hands and was already running back towards the camp before he could even process what had just happened.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter even though it was a bit short. Please review and tell me what you thought. I'll try and get the next chapter out soon, but I make no promises.


	4. Fire

Hey folks, sorry it took so long to update this. I wanna thank those who reviewed the last chapter: Takerslady, Toxic-Neon, Stranded, Little Hobbit, and X-menForever. Thank you all so much.

Chapter Four

That little bitch had bested him. Pyro had never been beaten by a…_girl_. Who did she think she was anyway? He could go back to camp right now and kill her for her insolence. Magneto did not allow those of lower ranking in the Brotherhood to talk back to their superiors, and that was exactly what that girl had done.

Seething, Pyro made his way back to camp. What if he _did_ see her again, what would he do? Despite his anger, Pyro knew he could not act upon his feelings of revenge. But still, she needed to be punished. The only question was, how?

Like every other night that she could remember since she'd joined the Brotherhood, Felyne sat around a campfire with numerous other mutants. She watched the flames dance in the night; watched the sparks fly up into the dark, almost endless sky.

There was nothing better to Felyne than sitting out under those stars, watching the fire dance. It was such an alluring image, the way the flames played off one another; the way their bodies danced to a rhythm, a beat, inaudible to the human ear.

One of the only images that Felyne had of her life before the Brotherhood was that of a little girl sitting in front of a large fireplace and watching the flames perform their enchanting dance. Always she'd been drawn to fire; always she'd been drawn to the mentality of "look but don't touch." There was something so dangerous, and yet so strikingly beautiful about the flames that she never could tear her eyes away.

"Felyne? Hey, Felyne? You okay?" Dart's voice sounded as if it were echoing in a tunnel.

With a shake of her head, Felyne forced herself to focus on his voice. With a force of will, she turned her eyes away from the fire and in the direction of young man's voice.

"What?" She asked, slightly dazed.

"I said, are you okay?" Dart's lips curled up slightly at the corners, casting an impish look across his young face.

"Yea," she nodded her head, "I'm fine."

"You sure, 'cause you didn't look fine." His left eyebrow lifted slowly, curious look on his face. "In fact, you looked like you were off in la-la land." The impish grin grew wider. "Were you thinking about someone?"

Felyne smacked his arm, trying to wipe the smirk from his face.

"No I was _not_ thinking about someone." She snapped. "God, what are you, one giant hormone or something." She stood quickly and began walking in the direction of her tent.

"Hey, where you going?" Dart called after her.

"To my tent," she growled, "what's it look like, dork."

Dart's laughter could be heard until Felyne closed the tent flap behind her.

* * *

The night passed swiftly and, before Pyro was ready for it, morning arrived. Groggy and irritated at the light that fought to invade his sleep, the teen rolled onto his stomach and buried his head beneath his pillow.

"Get up." Magneto's voice sounded above him, a bitter edge tracing the harsh command.

Pyro lifted his head sleepily and glanced through tired eyes into Magneto's commanding stare.

"It's seven in the morning." Pyro mumbled, glancing at his watch, "I'm going to sleep awhile longer."

"I said get up." Magneto replied, voice rough with authority.

Suddenly, Pyro felt his bed slip out from under him as Magneto manipulated the metal frame.

"What the _hell_ did you do that for?" Pyro cried as he struggled to escape the tangle of blankets that now lay on the floor.

Magneto didn't answer him. Instead, he marched out of the room with a twirl of his cape.

Pyro picked himself up off the floor, muttering curses under his breath that would have rivaled that of a sailor's. Picking up the jumble of blankets, he threw them on the mangled bed before hurriedly dressing.

It was time to get his lighter back.

* * *

It didn't take long to find her. All Pyro had to do was mention the girl with cat eyes and a bitchy attitude and he was pointed in her direction. Apparently she had developed quite a reputation around camp.

Her tent stood with a group of others, a fire pit in the center of the ring that they formed. A group sat around the fire, bowls of food in their hands. The lively conversation fell to a quick hush as soon as Pyro stepped into their midst. Seven pairs of eyes fell on him instantly, curiously watching and waiting to see what he would do.

"I'm looking for someone," he said, his voice commanding.

"There's lots of mutants here, you'll have to be a little more specific than that." A young boy, probably not much more than sixteen, spoke up.

"I don't know her name, just her powers. She's a feral." Pyro barked, offended that this boy would talk like that to him.

"You're looking for Felyne," one of the other mutants spoke up, an impish looking lady who was probably in her thirties, "she lives over there." She pointed to a tent just outside of the ring.

Without so much as a thank you, Pyro marched towards the tent the woman had pointed out. He swept the tent flap open, not bothering to announce himself, and was caught by the sight of a bare back.

"Do you mind?" The girl's harsh voice snapped as she drew her shirt on over her head. She turned, her eyes narrowing as they met his stare. She was just as alluring as Pyro remembered, her eyes just as intimidating.

"You!" She snapped, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You have something that belongs to me." He said, nodding towards the lighter that sat beside her cot.

"You came all the way down from your mountain just to get back a damn lighter? Can you say possessive?" She rolled her eyes and snatched up the lighter. "God if you want it back so badly, here."

Pyro caught the lighter in midair, the familiar weight settling nicely into his palm. He looked back up at the girl, but she had turned her back to him once more and was busy straightening the sheets on her bed.

"You can quit checking out my ass." She barked, looking at him over her shoulder. "I'm not some whore you can use for your entertainment."

"God you're temperamental." Pyro snapped. "Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?"

Her eyes clouded for the briefest of seconds and a sadness seemed to weigh upon her shoulders. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the look vanished and was replaced by a cold, golden stare.

"Didn't _yours_ ever teach you it's rude to stare? God, just get out of here."

"Fine." Pyro barked, "I will." He turned and stormed out of the tent.

* * *

Sorry this chapter is so short and random. I hope that you guys enjoyed it though and that you will review. Please let me know what you thought, I want your honest opinions. Hopefully it won't take me so long to update next time as it did for me to update this time. 


	5. Tracking

I just want to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter. You guys are awesome! I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Five

The lake was serene, peaceful, a quiet oasis that was Felyne's own private hideaway. She was fairly certain that no one else had found this lake. It was in a clearing nearly ten miles from the camp. The only reason Felyne had found it was because she had been tracking an unfamiliar scent and the path had lead her past the lake. That was about five days ago.

Since then, Felyne had been coming out here at any opportunity she could find. Especially when she needed a break from the oh so wonderful joys of camp life.

The lake was her place to think, her retreat from the stresses of living in the wilderness with other mutants, all of whom thought they were better than the next. It was nice to get away from the ego-trips every once in awhile.

Felyne had had another dream that night. This one more vivid than the others, and, instead of the woman being present in Felyne's tent, it was as if the young feral were watching a home video. There had been a young girl sitting in the center of a large and family oriented living room, toys spread out all around her. The woman had stood over the girl; laughing and smiling as she sat down to start playing with her daughter. A pang of…loneliness? sadness? had filled Felyne as she watched the scene.

Sighing, Felyne drew her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. She needed desperately to clear her head if she were to focus on the Brotherhood's upcoming attack on Alcatraz.

Her nose twitched, catching an all too familiar scent. A twig snapped behind her, and Felyne sprang to her feet, crouching into a fighting position.

"Are you stalking me or something?" She growled as Pyro stepped into view.

"I could ask the same of you." He barked back.

"Hey, you're the one showing up wherever I am." Felyne snapped.

Pyro opened his mouth to retaliate, but he floundered. Felyne smirked; she had won this round.

"Shouldn't you be at camp?" Pyro asked irritably.

"No." She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly

With nothing left to say, the two teens stood, eyes locked in a staring match. Pyro shifted uneasily on his feet as Felyne's unflinching gaze bored into his.

Suddenly, Felyne's nose twitched as she caught an unfamiliar scent. She shifted, trying to catch the scent as the wind changed direction.

"What are you…" Pyro started to speak, but Felyne silenced him with a fierce stare. Her eyes sparked gold as her feral powers took over.

Sniffing the air, Felyne crouched and moved stealthily in the direction of the scent. The wind rippled across the water, catching the scent of fish and algae and mixing it with the scent that Felyne was tracking.

She felt Pyro's eyes on her, heard his heavy footsteps as he followed behind her. Turning to glare at him, Felyne hissed. She was not in the mood for this egomaniac to follow her and scare off whatever it was that she had caught scent of. Pyro simply glared back at her, an underlying curiosity in his stare.

"If you're coming with me you need to be quieter than that." Felyne seethed, her voice barely above a whisper. With that said, Felyne pushed Pyro to the back of her mind and focused on following the scent.

Winding through trees, Felyne had to stop every so often to reorient herself with the scent. Whatever it was, it was moving at a rapid rate and moving in a very chaotic fashion.

Ten minutes had passed and Felyne was hot on the trail of whatever it was she was following. Pyro was still behind her. Though she had not turned to see if he was still with her, Felyne could clearly make out his distinct smell: A heady mix of anger, envy, fear, and burning ash. The last was the smell of his powers, the fire deep inside his body that allowed him to manipulate flames. And his Pyro's and stumbling footsteps echoed in her head. She prayed that whatever she was following could not hear him.

Felyne's nose twitched as the wind shifted. She came to an abrupt stop; the wind carried the scent closer. Whatever it was that she was tracking had doubled around and was now tracking her! Whirling around, Felyne fell to the ground as a heavy figure collided with her.

* * *

Pyro raced after Felyne as she took off into the woods. The girl was stranger than anyone that he had ever met. One second they were having an intense glaring match and the next thing he knows her nose is twitching and she's smelling the air like some crazed rabbit. She hissed at him when he tried to talk, to ask her what the hell she was doing, and then she was off.

Never had he seen someone whose ability wasn't super speed run so quickly or so quietly. Her feet moved lightly over the ground, never seeming to touch the earth but rather moving so rapidly that she glided over everything. She never made a sound. Despite himself, Pyro was impressed.

She led him through an ever twisting path through the forest, slowing every once in awhile to sniff the air once again. She put that chick from _Bewitched_ to shame with just how fast her nose twitched.

Pyro struggled for breath as he continued to follow Felyne in her mad dash through the forest. His legs were beginning to cramp and he was fairly certain that he would not last much longer. He lost sight of Felyne as she raced into a thick patch of trees. Pyro forced whatever bit of energy he still had in him to propel him faster so that he wouldn't lose Felyne entirely and thus be lost in the woods.

He rounded the trees and crashed straight into Felyne. The two fell to the ground with a _thud_. Beneath him, Felyne grunted as Pyro's weight settled on her. She glared up at him, her gold eyes disconcerting. But what disturbed Pyro even more was how he fell into her gaze. Her cat eyes held him captive and he could not force his gaze away from hers.

"Get off me!" She hissed, pushing him with more force than Pyro realized she had. With her eyes not boring into his, Pyro felt his mind coming back to him and he quickly picked himself up off the ground as Felyne sniffed the air furiously.

"What the hell are you doing?" Pyro said. "You look like a maniac."

She glared at him and Pyro was hit, once again, with the full force her eyes.

"It's tracking us." She hissed. "Now shut up and get ready."

* * *

Anger, vulnerability, hopelessness. The smells completely took over Felyne's senses as whatever it was that she'd been following got steadily closer. Another quick sniff at the air gave Felyne the scent she needed. It was in the trees. With a growl, Felyne jumped at the nearest tree and scaled it quickly, leaving an astonished Pyro on the ground below.

A figure moved in the branches to her left and Felyne launched herself across the open air, colliding with the figure there. They fell from the tree, a tangle of limbs as they growled at each other, trying to get in whatever hits they could. They landed on the ground, hard. Felyne let out a growl of pain as her head hit the earth. The air was knocked out of her lungs, leaving her temporarily stunned. Her head pounded and shooting pains traveled up and down her back. The other mutant growled low in his throat as he knelt over her, metal claws coming from his knuckles. The metal traveled closer and closer to her throat. Felyne's eyes flashed gold with rage.

_"C'mon, Mara! That's a big girl!" The woman stood in a garden teeming with vibrant colors. A little girl, just over a year old stumbled on shaky legs across the soft grass, a gleeful giggle sounding as she padded eagerly towards the woman. _

_ "C'mon, Mara, come to Mommy!"_

A flash of flame blinded Felyne. She blinked, clearing the dots from her vision. When she opened her eyes the other mutant was gone and Pyro now stood over her, offering her a hand up.

"You ok?" He asked, his usually snide tone replaced by genuine concern.

"I'm fine." She barked, pushing his hand aside and sitting up. Pain shot through her body and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. Before she knew what was happening, Pyro was holding her in his arms and carrying her back to camp.

* * *

Review and let me know what you thought.


End file.
